This afternoon I decided to make vanilla cupcakes from Elana Amsterdam’s Gluten-Free Almond Flour Cookbook to share with another gluten-free, allergen sensitive friend of mine. I wanted to make a frosting to go with them, but I didn’t have any soy-lecithin free chocolate chips. I ordinarily use Enjoy Life Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips, Gluten, Dairy & Soy Free but I ate them up in a snacking frenzy some time ago. I looked around, but most recipes online seemed to call for something my friend couldn’t have or something I didn’t have in my pantry. And so, I made up my own recipe.

I also wanted to try a menu again. I’ve gotten out of the habit and I miss it, so here goes. The DH is out of town, so I just have to please Baby Yum and my Mother, who is living with us.

Put your shortening, margarine and 1/4 cup of your powdered sugar in a standing mixing bowl or small to medium bowl and mix together until creamy. Add your cocoa and another 1/4 cup sugar and combine. Add coconut cream (the thick cream-like solid that forms at the top of a can of regular, full fat coconut milk) and vanilla and mix together. Add your pinch of salt and combine. Adjust as desired. If needed add final 1/4 cup sugar and whip together.

Baste cupcake or cake with frosting. Will firm up as it sits, even at room temperature.

Rating:8

Original Source:The contents of my brain, please do not replicate without my permission.

Turn on oven to 400F and put your cauliflower florets on a baking dish. Drizzle with olive oil and rub into the florets. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and roast for 10 minutes. (No worries if oven isn’t up to temperature yet.) Toss in your scallions and turn cauliflower over once it has started to brown and caramelize on one side. Roast for another ten minutes.

Meanwhile, combine sauce ingredients in blender. Once scallions have roasted, add to your sauce and blend. Add water as needed so you can pour it.

Once cauliflower is browned on both sides, drizzle with sauce* and bake for another five minutes. Toss in your thai basil leaves and bake another minute. Take out of oven and let cool slightly. Enjoy!

*You will have leftover sauce unless you had a really huge cauliflower. Add water if you like and use as a dressing, or drizzle on cut kale leaves and dehydrate/bake on low temperature until you have lovely seasoned kale chips.

Rating:9

Original Source:The contents of my brain, please do not replicate without my permission.